Summer’s Last Days

We live in the valley of central California, in an area that is largely agricultural. The growing season here is long, and summer-like weather can remain well into autumn.

Our family has had, what is to us, a very full summer season. We enjoyed eight free movies at a local theater’s Summer Family Film Festival.

We spent two full days (thankful for “two days for the price of one” passes) at a large amusement park screaming on the roller coasters with our hands raised bravely in the air, splashing down waterfalls………

………and chasing one another crazily on the bumper cars.

We wandered over to the beach, twice, enjoying the roar of the Pacific Ocean, the feel of the warm sand under our feet, and the smell of the salt water spray. One day was sunny and gloriously warm, and the other bone-chillingly cold. My boys were in the water both days.

We enjoyed a lovely park day with Corin and the grandbabies. We enjoyed the shade of the trees, the huge playground and the luxury of a cotton quilt on the grass.

We’ve managed two of our four planned fishing trips, with our fifth, and final fishing day, planned for mid-September. My husband and sons willingly gave up the most recent fishing day, and another full day on top of that, to lay up our supply of firewood for the coming winter. We use our wood stove (EPA certified) to heat our home during the cold winter months, except when we are prohibited from doing so, and we typically burn between three and four cords of wood each year. About the time we were wondering how we would be able to purchase this year’s wood, good friends proposed a bartering arrangement. God is so faithful to meet our needs!

Over the course of the last two days, the guys brought home our four cords of firewood. They drove an hour to the walnut ranch, loaded a cord of wood into the trailer, and then drove an hour home, where the wood was unloaded and stacked. They did this twice a day, for two days running, one day cool and breezy and the very next day hot and windless.

Corin and my grandbabies have spent a few Thursdays with us, as well. My four oldest grands have all enjoyed the pool this year. I’ve enjoyed watching them as they’ve bravely dunked their faces into the water, doggy paddled their way across the pool or ridden the inner tubes over the big Uncle-caused waves.

There was even the wonderful opportunity, a few weeks ago, to drive down the valley to meet a dear blogging buddy. My husband and son attend a twice a month book study that meets in a restaurant, so I tagged along with my husband one night and met her there. I’d like to tell you that we had a lovely time getting to know one another over green salads, but I wouldn’t want to lie. In truth, we did have a wonderful time getting to know one another, but we did it over ice cream sundaes. The ice cream was wonderful, but the fellowship I enjoyed with this beautiful gal was the sweetest part of the evening.

There have been, this long, fun summer, many late nights watching videos together in the living room, and even later nights lying on our backs on the trampoline to watch the annual Perseid meteor shower.

I’ve enjoyed long days devoted to nothing but planning for the coming homeschool year – writing lesson plans, working up fine arts units, science units for Will, making hundreds of copies and pouring over catalogs and choosing just the right living books to bring into our home for the year.

Lesson plan binders are filled.

Copies have been made and slipped into file folders.

The boys’ baskets are filled with books, fresh notebooks and oodles of possibilities.

I’ve begun to spend a bit more time at my desk writing in my planner, setting goals and sketching outlines for beginning some long anticipated, and much hoped for, projects.

Even though summer is with us, officially, for a few more weeks, it’s time for my family to think about reclaiming normal hours for waking and sleeping. It’s time for us to allow the carefree days of informal, everyday life learning to give way, just a bit, to more formal academics.

It’s time to bid this long, fun-filled summer season goodbye………well, almost! We still have four days of summer fun left before our school year begins, and I intend to enjoy Every. Single. One. Of. Them!

See you soon!

God bless you as you look well to the ways of your household!Proverbs 31:27

16 comments to Summer’s Last Days

So nice to “see” you again. What a lovely summer. I love your binders. Any chance we could see what a sample page of what one looks like inside?I love the way you ‘do’ school. It’s very similar to what I try to do, but by the looks of it more orderly too.Blessings to you and your household.

I smiled at the bumper car picture. My family loves the bumper cars. Whenever we go to the amusement park, they have to ride the bumper cars over and over. Believe me, they do not show each other any Christian love as they are out to get each other. 🙂

Cheryl, What a joy to share in your summer fun and frolics. You have done well, my friend. I love the pics of the shoes and the park. Too sweet.

We started school on Monday and have been having a great deal of fun and accomplishment.The summer prep is paying off in great learning dividends. I still have a few subjects to add, but that will happen over the next two weeks, as we get our “sea legs” under us.

Enjoy your last few days of “freedom”, and then enjoy your schooling, I know you will!

My first impulse is to say “I don’t know how you do it” but then I remember, you do it with the Lord of course. That is the only way it can work.

Thanks for sharing your summer. What fun you’ve all had. Those are precious memories for you and your family. I wish I had been as organized when I homeschooled my son as you are. He is 22 now and away in Iraq. He refuses to let me do his schooling over again as I would like :).

I think I enjoyed the planning for the upcoming year almost as much as I enjoyed the homeschooling. A few friends and I would take our children to the lake for a camping trip. The children would romp in the water while the ‘girls’ planned for the coming year. Sweet memories!

I enjoyed seeing what you did over the summer. What a full summer full of blessings!

Cheryl, what a wonderful post. I enjoyed your summer right along with you. Glad you have your wood supply up and are ready for school to start. That river is so pretty. I cannot believe your son jumped off that big boulder. Boys do cause us to have gray hair. LOL Have a good weekend. Winona

About Copperswife

I'm Cheryl Linebarger, and I've been Copper's Wife for 36 years. I have two grown daughters, one grown son, one teen son, two wonderful sons-in-love and eight grandchildren, 13 years old and under. Copperswife is a place to find encouragement as you joyfully look well to the ways of your own household.